Newman's London: A Pilgrim Handbook by Joanna Bogle

Abstract

Reviewed by: Newman's London: A Pilgrim Handbook by Joanna Bogle Nicholas Schofield Newman's London: A Pilgrim Handbook BY JOANNA BOGLE Leominster: Gracewing, 2019. 140 pages. £7.99. ISBN: 9780852449417. John Henry Newman had a great sense of place. Even a cursory knowledge of his writings reveals his deep love for Oxford, with the snapdragon growing around his rooms at Oriel, the ancient church of St. Mary the Virgin, and the cottages at Littlemore. Later in life, he was similarly attached to the Oratory at Birmingham and the flock to which he ministered. It is often forgotten, however, that Newman was a Londoner, born in the heart of the city that, at the time, was the centre of a global empire. Newman's London: A Pilgrim Handbook, written by the Catholic journalist and broadcaster,Joanna Bogle, is a useful guide to the places in and around London that are associated with him. Many of the locations are "off the beaten track" and probably little visited by those interested in Newman. How often, for example, do those enjoying the splendors of the British Museum walk a few minutes around the corner to 17 Southampton Place, home of the Newman family between 1803 and 1816? The house is now part of the Global Studies program of Arcadia University, and it is possible to have a brief view of the front rooms, if only through the window. How many spending an afternoon at Ham House, a Jacobean house by the Thames run by the National Trust, make the detour to see Grey Court House, which Newman looked back on as his "house of dreams?" Some places are now almost unrecognizable. A large office block stands on the site of Newman's birthplace (80 Old Broad Street), although thankfully a plaque [End Page 127] marks the spot, while the church of his baptism (St. Benet Fink) was demolished during redevelopment in the 1840s. Likewise, the cottage used by the family in Norwood, near Croydon, is hard to locate amidst the "busy shops and traffic" (42). The school in the western suburb of Ealing, the place where the young Newman experienced an evangelical conversion in 1816, which put him "under the influence of a definite creed," no longer stands. It once boasted extensive grounds, a swimming pool, and a cricket green, but it finally closed in 1908 and left only a road named Nicholas Gardens after the family who ran the institution. This reviewer himself grew up in Ealing and was saddened to read that staff at the church of St. Mary were "most welcoming but had no knowledge of there being any link with Newman" (39). There are other places listed too, as well as London churches and shrines that honor the saint in some way, and a brief gazetteer of further flung places of interest. This short book makes no claim to be scholarly, but it is well produced, and not only puts the locations in the context of Newman's life, but includes useful information about finding them today. It could be read alongside other publications, such as the late Jerome Bertram's excellent Newman's Oxford (Gracewing, 2019). Next time you find yourself in London, make sure you have a copy of Joanna Bogle's book in your bag! [End Page 128] Nicholas Schofield Westminster Diocesan Archives Copyright © 2020 National Institute for Newman Studies